Rivals
by ipsa dixit
Summary: Dolores hated the smirk on Lucius' face./for hogwarts


For jenga, scenario 'we're theatre rivals but we were cast as love interests'

for performing arts, actor!au, plus extra credit, using a trope i love, happy ending

for love in motion, umbridge/lucius

word count: 1004 by Google Docs

* * *

Dolores didn't like the smirk on Lucius' face.

"What, Malfoy?" she asked as she approached him.

"What do you mean, 'what'?" His smirk deepened in a way that she really hated.

"Why are you smirking like that?"

"Oh, no reason." He was quiet for a second. Dolores waited. "Except I've just landed the main role for the play. Romeo. What's your role? Rosaline?"

"Yeah, you would just love to be in love with me, wouldn't you?" Dolores snapped, glaring at him. He always seemed to get the big roles in whatever play their theatre put on, while Dolores got lesser roles, and Dolores hated him for it. Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out, ignoring Lucius as he said,

"No, but I would love it if you weren't seen at all."

Dolores let out a laugh as she read the text she had gotten and Lucius' brows furrowed together. He leaned closer to her to try and see what made her laugh.

"I've just been cast," she informed him, putting her phone away.

"As what?"

"Juliet."

* * *

"Stop, stop, stop, guys," Cornelius, their director, called to the actors onstage. "Lucius, Dolores, come here, please."

Lucius jumped offstage and to where their director was sitting in the audience. Dolores followed suit, climbing down from the balcony where she had been performing.

"No, offense, but you guys sorta—how do I put this nicely?—suck," Cornelius told them, looking annoyed. Lucius and Dolores glared at each other, both of them blaming the other person. "Don't get me wrong, but you're both amazing actors, but you awful at acting in love, and that's what we need. It's Romeo and Juliet! You need to convince the audience that you're in love. So far, I'm not convinced that you're in love. Convince me. Go back to places."

"Don't mess this up for me, Umbridge," Lucius whispered under his breath as the pair took their spots.

Lucius walked in and started to say his monologue. "He jests at scars that never felt a wound." Dolores entered onto the balcony. "But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!" To everyone in the vicinity, even himself, Lucius sounded flat.

"Yeah, no, stop, again," Cornelius said, for the second time in that rehearsal. "What's the matter with you, Lucius?"

"She's Umbridge," he said, glaring up at Dolores, who had a smirk on her face; she was pleased that Lucius was the one to mess up. "I just can't pretend to love her. I'm sorry."

"So, you can leave, then. I can find another Romeo."

"No!" Lucius shouted. At the same time, Dolores said, "Yes!"

"Okay, fine." Cornelius closed his eyes and put his hand on his forehead, thinking. He was quiet for a moment, then two. Three. After a minute of awkward silence, Cornelius opened his eyes and clapped his hands.

"You guys are getting some homework," he decided. "Meet me at the Leaky Cauldron, tonight at eight, okay?" They both nodded, unsure. He grinned. "Okay!"

Lucius was there before Dolores or Cornelius, which was typical of him. Cornelius came next, and Dolores came last. They were all still slightly early, as they were actors.

"I glad you guys came tonight," Cornelius said, grinning. Both Lucius and Dolores disliked his grin.

"Of course. Anything for our director," Dolores said, her voice dripping in sweetness. Lucius gagged at her tone, which caused her to glare at him.

"Yeah, yeah. So, your homework: you guys have to spend the whole night, until midnight, here, together. You guys need to be able to at least act like you're in love."

"And at most?" Lucius whispered under his breath. Dolores heard him and let out a tiny laugh. He glared at her.

"Great!" Cornelius said, giving the pair a thumbs up. "I'm going to be here the whole time, of course, to ensure you guys don't leave. Have fun!"

Cornelius ran over to a table on the opposite side of the bar.

"This is going to be fun," Lucius said, looking Dolores over. He gave her a grin. "Our first date."

"Don't think I'm doing this for you. I'm doing this for Cornelius, and for the sake of the play." Dolores scowled at him.

"Right." Lucius caught the eye of a waiter, who hurried over to take their order. "Two Firewhiskeys, please."

"I didn't ask for one," Dolores said, continuing to glare at him.

"Don't worry, it's on me."

Dolores rolled her eyes as the waiter walked away. "This is going to be a long night, isn't it?"

"You know it. Might as well spend it drunk."

She was very drunk. Apparently, she was a giggly drunk, which was news to Lucius. He didn't think that he had ever seen her drunk before.

"You're a dork," she said to him, giggling after whatever random comment he had said to her.

"You love me," he countered.

"No, I don't." She giggled, again.

Suddenly, Lucius got a crazy idea, probably produced by the alcohol he had consumed. He leaned over the table and kissed her, right on the lips.

"How about now?"

Dolores laughed again, but this time it was more a disbelieving laugh. "Well, I don't know. I think I'll need another taste to tell."

She leaned in again.

* * *

It was the opening night of the play, and Lucius and Dolores were about to do one of the most famous scenes in romeo and Juliet. The balcony scene.

"We got this," Lucius whispered to Dolores, backstage. He squeezed her hand. She smiled a tiny bit, still uncomfortable with someone liking her. It was weird to go from rivals to dating. The magic of theatre, she supposed.

Act two, scene one was finished, so they took their places offstage and started the scene.

"He jests at scars that never felt a wound," Lucius called out, on stage. "But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!" This time, his voice didn't sound flat.


End file.
